This Less Than Charming FBI Man

Singer Morrissey was quizzed by the FBI and British intelligence after speaking out against the American and British governments.
The Brit is a famous critic of the US-led war in Iraq and has dubbed President GEORGE W BUSH a “terrorist” – but he was baffled to be hauled in by authorities.
Morrissey explains, “The FBI and the Special Branch have investigated me and I’ve been interviewed and taped and so forth.
“They were trying to determine if I was a threat to the government, and similarly in England. But it didn’t take them very long to realise that I’m not.
“I don’t belong to any political groups, I don’t really say anything unless I’m asked directly and I don’t even demonstrate in public. I always assume that so-called authoritarian figures just assume that pop/rock music is slightly insane and an untouchable platform for the working classes to stand up and say something noticeable.
“My view is that neither England or America are democratic societies. You can’t really speak your mind and if you do you’re investigated.”

Now what is that inspired the FBI haul in everybody’s favorite working-class dandy for the third degree rather than Alec Baldwin?

Might I suggest the answer might be found in the work of the estimable W iiliam E. Jones whose superb documentary Is It Really So Strange? celebrates the Morrissey cult that has mushroomed over the last two decades among Spanish-speaking Americans (male and female, gay and straight) in the Southwest? That pampered politically toothless pop stars like Bono and Geldorf are considered worthy of the Nobel prize, while the man who “would go out tonight, but I don’t have a stitch to wear” is seen as dangerous is . . . telling.

All the more reason to admire Morrissey and celebrate his importance in tha pantheon of Noteworthy British Angelinos — right up there with Christopher Isherwood, Aldous Huxley, David Hockney Gavin Lambert, Roy Dean, and Barbara Steele

And as the man himself sings —

“Learn to love me
Assemble the ways
Now, today, tomorrow and always
My only weakness is a list of crime
My only weakness is … well, never mind, never mind

Oh, shoplifters of the world
Unite and take over
Shoplifters of the world
Hand it over
Hand it over
Hand it over

Learn to love me
And assemble the ways
Now, today, tomorrow, and always
My only weakness is a listed crime
But last night the plans of a future war
Was all I saw on channel four

Shoplifters of the world
Unite and take over
Shoplifters of the world
Hand it over
Hand it over
Hand it over

A heartless hand on my shoulder
A push – and it’s over
Alabaster crashes down
(six months is a long time)
Tried living in the real world
Instead of a shell
But before I began …
I was bored before I even began

Shoplifters of the world
Unite and take over
Shoplifters of the world
Unite and take over
Shoplifters of the world
Unite and take over
Shoplifters of the world
Take over”